My Animals and Other Family

Clare Balding

In England, Clare Balding is a recognizable television personality, so her book may not acheive the bestseller status here in the US that it did there, but it is a real treat for Anglophiles and the horsey set. Clare's father trained race horses for the royal family. As a girl Clare was at the bottom of the pecking order, below the animals and her brother, but that gave her a freedom few children have. So the tomboy had lots of time to roam the estate with four-foot creatures galore as her playmates. She fondly recalls her dearest friends, including the pony given to her by the Queen, and talks about the equestrian world and her career as a jockey and in sports broadcasting.